


The Cannibal and the Moon

by Theo_Lannister



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Cousin Incest, Dragonriders, Dragons, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Incest, Minor Canonical Character(s), The Dance of the Dragons | Aegon II Targaryen v. Rhaenyra Targaryen Era, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:20:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27510670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theo_Lannister/pseuds/Theo_Lannister
Summary: "Don't... don't get jumpy. Please.""Oh please, I'm a dragonrider, nothing can make me jumpy.""Not... not all Dragons are equal," Alyn spoke sheepishly. "Just... promise me you'll be careful."Addam sighed, "Alright, I'm ready."He was not ready. He sincerely doubted anyone could be ready.The Bastard of Hull becomes so much more, and the war shifted dramatically.
Relationships: Baela Targaryen/Alyn Velaryon
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	The Cannibal and the Moon

"Don't... don't get jumpy. Please."

"Oh please, I'm a dragonrider, nothing can make me jumpy."

"Not... not all Dragons are equal," Alyn spoke sheepishly. "Just... promise me you'll be careful."

Addam sighed, "Alright, I'm ready."

He was not ready. He sincerely doubted  _ anyone _ could be ready.

He'd never been to this side of Dragonstone. The large mountain that dominated the isle of Dragonstone frequently spat blood, and her veins often dried up when the lava flew elsewhere. The cavern that his brother had taken him to certainly looked as if it was one of these veins. The walls of it were the porous black granite that made up most of southern Dragonstone, with larger gaps leading deeper into the earth. And the roof... was shattered. All along the opening, the stone was not black but scorched. Chunks of stone were broken, the jagged points of the obsidian beneath as sharp as a knife. And inside...

Two immense wings were folded, tensed, as if the beast was prepared to launch into the sky at an instant. Obsidian scales were drinking the light, dancing in the fire of his torch. And it moved, the long, serpentine neck extending and stretching until, forty feet above him, glowing, shining, emerald eyes stared down with malice.

"Alyn, step away." He could  _ feel _ the malice from the dragon. He had no love of men, and those eyes viewed him as little more than an unappetizing morsel. "The Cannibal has already killed, stay back."

Alyn of Hull laughed, a sound that felt as though it did not belong in such a place of terror. "And hopefully he will again," his voice was quavery, but he seemed confident enough. "but, I had some help."

"Wait, who? How?"

He sounded oddly sheepish. "Baela Targaryen, well she-"

"Oh my god, did you feed Moondancer to the Cannibal?"

"What?! No! I gave the Cannibal her broken egg! Baela said she had no need for a broken shiny rock, so she gave it to me and... well he liked it."

"We need to tell the Queen. Gods be good, we've just won the war."

* * *

The beam on Corlys' face was all Alyn had dreamt of. Tanned, leathery skin crinkling, his bushy silver-gold eyebrows crinkling in... was it shock? Pride? Terror? Or all of them together? The Sea Snake had never seemed so... speechless.

Lady-no, Queen Rhaenyra was less easy to read. Her face had been stone since Lucaerys' death and now was no different. But in her violet eyes, there was something new. Not sorrow, not chiefly at least, not even an emotion he could place. When he looked into her eyes, he saw the same flame he saw in Cannibal's. "It was expressly forbidden to interact with the Cannibal," was all she said in a cold, emotionless voice. 

"But he has, Mother," Jacaerys, the boy who had recommended the Red Sowing to begin, spoke gently and calmingly, "much to our benefit and the woe of all others." Jacaerys, his half brother, was a little shorter, his hair a good deal darker, and curlier than his baseborn older brother. "Alyn here deserves the same reward we gave the other seeds. If they deserve a knighthood then this, well-"

"I'm aware of what you promised, Jace, and I'm aware of the dragon he's chosen. The question is, does the boy know?" Her eyes narrowed, "Well, speak, child. Did you see what your new pet did to Silver Denys? Or what sheepstealer did to you?"

"I-I did, your grace. And I saw what Nettles did too. She gave Sheepstealer his favorite food and they, well, bonded. I figured..."

"That may be one of the largest dragons to ever live, why would he bend to a bastard that gave him scraps of shells? Did you know that this dragon has been feasting on the bones of dragons and Dragonriders for over a century? From the days before even Maegor was born? Have you seen him rip-"

"Rhaenyra, that's enough." Lord Coryls' voice was firm, "He understands. And by your decree, he is no bastard." He placed his leathery hand on Alyn's shoulder. "He's a Velaryon. And your dragonrider."

* * *

_ Grand Maester Orwyle claims it took the Dragonseeds less than a day to master the art of flight. For they were the seed of Valyria, and dragonriding was in their blood. Septon Eustace claims that it took the new riders weeks, almost a quarter of a year until their dragons finally bent under the whip. Vermithor and Silverwing, long used to being ridden, were mastered shortly, but Sea Smoke had grown wild since Laenor Velaryon's death, and the two wild dragons were even more difficult to cow. But neither Orwyle nor Eustace was present on Dragonstone at the time. Instead, we must turn towards Mushroom. _

_ Mushroom tells us that the first time the riders properly flew their dragons was the Battle of the Gullet. Rightfully terrified of their new mounts, none of the riders had dared to crest the Dragonmont that called Dragonstone home, instead of going in lazy rings around the yard. It was only the arrival of Aegon the Younger, and his warning of the coming fleet that spurred the riders into flight.  _

_ Mushroom tells us: "When those silver seeds finally took it upon themselves to climb on to the backs of their Dragons, the whole castle shook with their roars. Even I, who had thrice flown on dragons, felt my motley small clothes grow wet. With a hiss and a roar, the dragons rose, but not the ponderous Cannibal. He did not break under his lash. He did the opposite. When young Alyn tried to whip his mount into the air, the Cannibal grabbed the whip, ripped it out of the boy's hand, and surged into the sky as quickly as an arrow." _

_ It is agreed upon in both wine sinks and maester's library that when dragons grow older they grow slower. However, this is not true, as the late Septon Barth notes in his  _ Unnatural Histories _ that 'a dragon's speed in flight only increases. As their weight increases, their wings begin to grow more out of proportion, allowing the dragon to soar for longer times, and to give more force with a flap of those mighty wings. But once in the air, it grows considerably more difficult to keep them there.' _

_ So too was this proven with the Cannibal, if Mushroom is to be believed. The Cannibal, ever hateful of his fellow dragons, flew ahead of the fellow seeds. He seemed to not listen at all to his rider, and Alyn of Hull was as much a prisoner as a warrior, trapped on the Cannibal flying across the sky.  _

-Archmaester Gyldayn,  _ Fire and Blood _

* * *

"R'Hllor be praised, look!" Sharako Lohar's myrish second-in-command said. "The big one!"

Lohar had been told to expect Dragons. All of their ships were filled with ballista and scorpions, and water buckets to prevent flames. He'd been told they'd need to risk only two dragons, the adolescent Vermax and maybe the older Syrax. Ninety ships would certainly be a match for two dragons, it had been judged. He was... less sure. The Triarchy had far more than ninety ships during their wars against the self-proclaimed King of the Narrow Sea, yet the Blood Wyrm never fell.

But they'd have help. The Hightower had said there were four dragons they could count on and their appearance had been due give. A blue juvenile, a large lilac-light blue, the golden one, and the Big One. Vhagar, she was called. His own grandsire had fought alongside Vhagar against Volantis, and he had heard of the beast. He did not want to be on her receiving end.

But luckily, the big one was already here. A ragged cheer broke out from about  _ Son of the Stepstones _ , "Vhagar! Vhagar! Vhagar!" The answering roar, even far off, shook the crew to the bone. The sheer majesty of the beast...

"Prince captain... look!" the myrish second-handed a lens to his admiral, "Look by the seamount!"

There were more Dragons. Five more than Vhagar. A silver, a bronze, a mud brown, and two greys.  _ Five dragons... could even Vhagar defeat such a host? _

His men had seen them too. How not, when they were colored streaks, breaking the clouds as they sailed. And soon, the Seahorse of Velaryon was seen on warships, a hundred warships. "Get ready men!" Vhagar was near now, much nearer. "Don't shoot the black beast! She's ours!"

Whether his crew heard him, he would never know. He could see the Dragon's rider, a boy with gold-blond hair, no older than six and ten, maybe five and ten. Far younger than the infamous One-Eyed prince was. His plate was aquamarine, not black or gold. Lohar had a sick feeling in his stomach.

A feeling made worse by the belch of dark, dark green flame. He saw the ship  _ Tiger's Bane _ succumb to jade fire, and then another shape, and more and more. 

"SHOOT THE BIG ONE!"

The sound of splintering wood, the screams of dying men, and the  _ whoosh _ as sail and pitch burst into flame. The sharp  _ thrum  _ of his ballista fired, but the large dragon's hide was thick, strong as a mountain, and the ballista scraped with a terrible sound of steel on stone. And soon, the other dragons were on him.

* * *

That Lyseni bastard never stood a chance.

Against one dragon, they could've hoped to distract it long enough to do battle against the Velaryon fleet. Against several, the northern section of the fleet would be unaffected as dragons did battle outside Dragonstone, leaving the Lyseni free to do what they wish to High Tide and Spicetown. Against the Cannibal, they never stood a chance. 

Corlys had just sent forth the order to sail out to do battle when emerald flames engulfed the fleet. Then silver, brown, bronze, and grey. Some ships had bent their oars and shifted starboard enough to avoid the flames, but they could not outrun Dragons. Even still, it would take hours for the whole lot of them to be burnt. But it took minutes for them to be defeated. So Corlys gave the order to bend oars for Driftmark, and the less important enemy fleet.

The Cannibal was flying there too.

The old black dragon was constantly apart from his fellow dragons. He ranged on the northern side of the island, not in the south with the others. And in battle, he would flap those wide, dark wings until he was far ahead of his smaller cousins. Even Alyn, despite all his yelling and crack of his whip, was unable to cow the beast. The Cannibal flew where it would when he was with other dragons.

Corlys could look up and feel only pride. He loved all his children, bold Laena, witty Laenor, strong Addam. But Alyn... his 'grand'son reminded him of himself. Stubborn to the point of stupid, biting off far more than he could chew. But for Corlys, he mounted a ship deck and sailed east, while Alyn mounted the Cannibal flying to war.

And, of course, there was the attraction to bold Targaryen women.

Lady Baela was more than fond of her baseborn 'cousin,' if the rumors his oarmaster told him was true. It was not an accident that Alyn was able to grab Moondancer's egg, which Corlys knew his granddaughter kept in her bedchamber. He supposed it was only fair. His firstborn son never lay with his Targaryen bride, it is only fair that his third son could with his. Jacaerys didn't deserve to be cuckolded, but he'd already wed, if that fool of a dwarf was telling the truth. It was only fair.

* * *

_ Thankfully, we have Eustace and Orwyle waiting for us in King's Landing. And here we get a reliable source of events. Eustace said that when news of the Gullet reached King's Landing, King Aegon, still bedridden, grew wroth. Summoning in his grandfather, Otto Hightower, Aegon threw an ink bottle at him. Weak from his burns, the bottle missed, spilling ink on his own bedsheets, already stained with blood. _

_ "This is what your ravens brought! A waste of ink and blood!" Orwyle, who was present to tend the King's wound, wrote. And it could not be denied. The Triarchy, a powerful and natural foe to the Blacks, had been defeated by yet another black dragon, the terrible Cannibal. And soon, that Dragon and many more would come to descend on King's Landing _ .

* * *

"All hail her grace, Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, the first of her name, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, Queen of the Andals and the First Men!" The steward had a strong voice and it carried well through the darkened halls of the Red Keep.

Rhaenyra finally sat the Iron Throne of all Westeros.

Donned in his new silvered plate, Alyn stood at attention beside his brother, and to Addam's right was their lord Grandfather, Corlys Velaryon. They all knew their lines, they knew their ques, and they knew the steps. It was a mummer's show, this court session. All had been decided before they'd even left Dragonstone. Well, almost all.

"The Queen shall now hear the words of her Dragonriders, Hugh Hammer and Ulf the White." The two men, Hugh large and tanned, and Ulf, sallow and pale. Both were donned in their armor, the bronze and steel of Hugh and Ulf wore the bright shiny steel from his time as a Man-at-arms. 

"For your deeds in the Gullet and dragons," Rhaenyra spoke, "I grant you any boon. If it is in my power, it is yours."

Hugh Hammer spoke first. "For my dragon, I ask only a lordship and land."

"Done, and I name you Lord Hugh of house Hammer. And you, Ser Ulf?"

Ulf blinked his red eyes thrice as if he hadn't heard. So early in the morning, Alyn doubted that he had enough time to get so drunk. Though knowing Ulf, it was a possibility. "I-er I ask the same, I suppose"

"Done. I name you Lord Ulf of... Ulf the White." Rhaenyra nodded and the two new made lords walked down the long hall of the Red Keep.

"The Queen shall now hear the words of her Hand, Lord Corlys Velaryon," the Steward called, and Corlys marched at attention before the Iron Throne, Alyn and his brother on his heels.

"For your fleet and years service," Rhaenyra spoke, "I grant you any boon. If it is in my power, it is yours."

Corlys looked up at the throne and spoke strongly. "There is naught I can ask of you, your grace. You have given me titles and positions, and there is nothing more for me in this world. I ask only that my grandsons be named my heirs, Velaryons, not Hulls."

"Done," Rhaenyra said. "And what of you, Ser Addam?"

"My Queen, you have already lifted me high, higher still on the back of Sea Smoke. I ask for the hand Cassandra Baratheon, and to rule her lands as her lord." That had been Lord Corlys' idea as well. Lord Borros was unlikely to live long enough to have a son, so his daughter Cassandra stood as heir. Clearly, these Stormlords were not fit to govern their realm, so it was only fitting that a Velaryon rule instead. And Addam had never taken to the Sea the same way his brother did. 

"Done," Rhaenyra seemed bored.  _ How not? She knew the lines too, _ Alyn thought. "And young Ser Alyn, what is your wish?"

He was supposed to say 'There was no honor greater than serving your grace. I ask to be named Master of Ships.' He was supposed to. But he didn't. Instead, he said, "Your Grace, I ask only for the hand of your beloved stepdaughter, my cousin, the Lady Baela."

It was as if a beehive had been kicked.

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by the fact that the Dragon Cannibal is one of if not the best dragon in the whole series. Obviously, he'd be a good deal more destructive now (Probably thrice the size too, but that's not the point) but even still, he would be larger then Vermithor, at a minimum. I think only Vhagar, Meleys, and Vermithor being comparable, with the first two being larger.
> 
> I was also inspired by this quora answer I wrote, partially. Go check that, and my other Quora content, out! Make sure to stop in and say where you came from too!
> 
> https://www.quora.com/What-s-a-tinfoil-hat-theory-you-support-in-ASOIAF


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